50 Shades of Carol and Therese
by Egs
Summary: After reading the book, I had so many what ifs...What if Therese was a virgin? What if Carol was her stepmother? In the vein of 50 shades of Gray, I will explore my what ifs...Caution, this is adult material The second chapter is part of a recurring story arch within this series
1. Chapter 1-First time

Carol followed Therese to the bed and lowered herself on top of her. "My beautiful angel," she whispered in her ear as she kissed her neck, "flung out of space."

Therese blushed slightly and hid her face against Carol's neck, hoping she wouldn't see. Her lips brushed shyly against Carol's cheek. Carol kissed her neck slowly, dragging her teeth against the pale skin so lightly Therese could barely feel it. It sent jolts of electricity through her body. She moaned into Carol's shoulder and clung to her more tightly.

Carol sensed something was off. It wasn't just first time jitters you get from having sex with a new person jitters. Therese was shaking.

"Are you all right?" she asked. She rolled off Therese and pulled her to her so she was holding her. Therese rested her head on Carol's chest as Carol's thin white fingers stroked her dark hair.

"You're trembling," she said as she stroked Therese's back and hair. "We can stop if you want to."

"I don't want to stop," Therese said, looking up at Carol with those beautiful blue-green eyes she loved. "I'm in love with you."

Even though Carol knew this, and was equally in love, she was surprised. To have Therese blurt it out like that, lying in bed in a motel, just the two of them, was quite jolting.

"And I with you," Carol replied, pulling her back up to her and kissing her gently.

She unbuttoned Therese's blouse as she kissed her. Her tongue darted into Therese's mouth as she unhooked her bra. Therese lifted her hips so she could pull down her skirt. She lay there in her underwear and nothing else.

"You're so beautiful, my angel," Carol said as she caressed the small breasts. "So beautiful."

Therese blushed and trembled even more. Her fingers shook so much she could barely unbutton two of Carol's blouse buttons. Carol took her hands and kissed each finger, then took of her own clothes.

Carol layed down on top of Therese again, kissing her neck then her mouth. Therese eagerly kissed back, wanting Carol to make love to her and being scared she couldn't satisfy her.

"It's my first time," she whispered in Carol's ear.

Carol stopped again and looked down at Therese. Her angel, so fragile, so beautiful. She caressed her cheek.

"It's ok. You can tell me to stop anytime."

She kissed her way down Therese's thin body, sucking on each breast. Therese moaned. She kissed her stomach with an open mouth, then the insides of her thighs. Her tongue flickered to Therese's clitoris and she gasped. Carol looked up at her, smiled, and resumed flicking her tongue around it. She slid a finger inside Therese's drenched vagina and made her gasp and moan at the same time. She began to suck on Therese's clitoris and slid in another finger. Therese screamed. Not a scream of pleasure, a scream of pain.

"OW!" she shrieked. "That hurts!"

Carol looked up, and this time registered how tight Therese was. Two fingers barely fit and caused pain….

"Therese, angel, when you said this was your first time, did you mean your first _ever_?"

Therese was dangerously close to tears. "Yes. I didn't want to upset you so I didn't tell you."

Carol crawled up to Therese's face and kissed her eyes. "You didn't upset me, I'm just surprised. Are you sure you want to do this? And with me? First times are so important."

Therese arched her back and kissed Carol. "Yes, I'm sure. Make love to me, Carol."

Carol looked down at the beautiful virgin she was going to deflower. She kissed her neck and positioned herself on top of her. She wrapped her legs around Therese's middle and thrust. Therese inhaled sharply and dug her nails into Carol's back. Carol held Therese's head with one hand and her body with the other as she rubbed her clit on Therese's. Therese moaned as her head hit the headboard and she looked up into Carol's blue eyes.

"I love you," she said hoarsely against Carol's neck. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you too, my beautiful angel," Carol answered and came. She collapsed onto Therese, holding her as tightly as she could. They lay like that for a few minutes, spent. Carol looked down at Therese and smiled. Without a word, she pushed her back and began to suck her clitoris again. Therese moaned and gripped the sheets as hard as she could. Carol took her hands and entwined her fingers with her angel's. She didn't stop until Therese bucked her hips and came.

They shifted so Therese was snuggling into Carol's chest. Carol stroked her hair again. Therese kissed her on the heart. "When will you teach me how to do that to you?" she asked slyly, looking up at the beautiful teacher.

Carol laughed. "All in good time, my angel."


	2. Chapter 2-Not an addict

Therese came stumbling into the apartment. Her stepmother Carol looked up in alarm, she had never seen her beautiful stepdaughter in a such a state. Her blue-green eyes were wide and wild and red-rimmed, her hair dark hair disheveled. Her face was not its usual healthy pale but chalk white. Even though the day was warm, bordering on hot, she wore a long sleeved shirt.

"Therese!" Carol cried, jumping up. "What happened?"

"Richard broke up with me," Therese said hoarsely. "And I got fired from my job at the store."

She began to sob while Carol looked at her helplessly. No wonder she looked so shattered. There was more bad news she had to give her, but she didn't need to hear it right then.

"Oh honey, come sit down," she said as she guided her to the couch and sat her down. She held her while she sobbed.

After Therese had cried herself out, Carol stroked her hair and made a suggestion. "Let's get out of here for a few days. I need to get out of New York for a while. What do you think?"

Therese looked up with her beautiful eyes red rimmed and puffy. "What about Dad?"

Carol grimaced. This was the bad news she needed to tell her, but she did not need another blow.

"He isn't coming with us, he needs to work. Just the two of us, what do you think?"

Therese gave her a shaky smile. "Yes, let's go."

They packed only one suitcase each. Carol said they could buy what they needed on the road. As they sped westward, Therese began to feel a bit better.

Carol drove quietly for a while, sensing Therese need to meditate , and also trying to think of the best way to break the news she knew was going to devastate her even more.

"Why did Richard break up with you?" she asked after a while.

Therese made a face and began to cry again. Carol held her hand with one hand and the steering wheel with the other. "Never mind," Carol said in her soothing voice. "His loss."

"I don't want to talk about it," Therese whimpered, trying to stop crying.

They drove for several hours barely talking. Therese was too drained, Carol too wary of upsetting her.

"I can't drive for another minute," she announced at about seven o'clock. They were in the middle of Pennsylvania. "Let's stop here for the night." She pulled into a dingy looking motel. They wouldn't have stayed in such a place if they weren't so exhausted.

"My back is killing me," Therese announced as she hobbled into the room after Carol with her suitcase.

"Here, lie down," Carol said as she kicked the door closed. Therese obeyed and Carol began massaging her back. "You can take you shirt off if you want," she said slyly. "It would feel better."

Therese pulled her arms tighter around her chest. "That's ok. I'm going to hop in the shower and wash this horrible day off me."

"Therese….."Carol said, deciding this was a good a time as any to break the news. "Sit down. I have something to tell you." The look on her face boded no good.

"Oh Jesus, now what?" asked her shaken stepdaughter.

"Your father left me this morning. He found someone else and wants a divorce."

Therese was dumbstruck. The look of shock on her face devastated Carol.

"What?" Her beautiful teal eyes were wide as saucers. "When were you going to tell me this?"

Carol looked around, desperate to escape the shattered expression on Therese's white face.

"I was going to tell you when you got home today, but you had had enough bad news."

"Jesus Christ, Carol!" Therese sank to the bed in complete shock. "This is the worst day of my life." She rested her head in her hands. Carol rubbed her back helplessly.

"It'll be ok, honey."

Therese brushed her off and stormed into the bathroom. She came out a while later with wet hair and considerably calmer. She began to bush her hair. Carol came up, took the brush and started doing it for her without a word.

Their eyes met in the mirror. Carol toweled Therese's hair dry. Then she led her to the bed and held her, stroking her hair. "It'll be okay," she said again.

Therese stretched up and kissed her on the cheek. Carol kissed her forehead. Their lips met briefly, soft and sweet. "We shouldn't do this," Carol whispered, stroking her cheek.

"I want to, so much," Therese said hoarsely as she twisted flat on her back. "I'm in love with you. That's why Richard broke up with me. Because I told him I was in love with you."

Carol was surprised. She and Therese had enjoyed a very close, loving relationship since she had come into her life when she was fourteen, but she hadn't expected this.

"And how long have you felt that way?" she asked as she pushed Therese's dark hair out of her face.

Therese pulled Carol on top of her and kissed her on the mouth. "Since the first time you called me your angel."

Carol flattened her body against Therese's and held her head as she kissed her deeply. Therese clung to her, kissing her neck. Carol began unbuttoning her pajama top, kissing her way down as she did so. She kissed the small breasts, sucking on each nipple as Therese moaned. She kissed her stepdaughter's pale, covered her flat stomach with soft kisses as she tugged down her pajama bottoms and underwear.

She sat up, admiring the beautiful naked girl beneath her. Therese blushed slightly.

Carol tore off her own clothes and lay on top of Therese again. "You're trembling," she stated as she kissed Therese's forehead.

Therese smiled shyly and kissed Carol on the mouth. "Well, I have only been imagining us doing this for five years."

Carol kissed her hard, sliding her tongue into her angel's mouth. Therese kissed her right back, her body bucking beneath her. Carol slid down her pale body and pushed her legs apart. She smiled, then began to kiss the girl's swollen clitoris.

Therese groaned, holding the bed sheets tightly. Carol held her hands down as she began sucking on her clit. Therese practically screamed.

Carol didn't stop until Therese bucked and shook for several seconds. She crawled up to her face and kissed her, holding her head. She lay down on top of her, pushing her legs apart as she pressed her center into her stepdaughter.

Carol began to thrust hard, banging Therese's head into the pillow. She kissed her neck, dragging her bottom teeth against the porcelain skin. Therese dug her fingernails in her back, trying to do the same.

Carol moaned and came. She collapsed on top of Therese, holding her tightly. "My beautiful angel. Flung from space," she whispered into her hair.

Therese smiled up at her. "I love you," she said. She sounded more confident than she had in months.

"I love you too, angel," Carol murmured as she kissed her forehead.

Later, in the cold pink light of dawn, Carol slid out of bed to use the bathroom. She kissed her sleeping fragile angel before going. When she came back, she noticed make up staining the sheets by Therese's arm. Looking closely, she saw why. Therese had used make up to cover up red, angry pinpricks in her arms. Her beautiful angel, her beloved stepdaughter, was injecting drugs.


	3. Chapter 3-Losing yourself

Carol came into the apartment, feet sore after a long day. She didn't expect Therese to be home yet, but to her surprise, she was sitting on the couch.

"Hi angel!" Carol greeted brightly. No matter how hard or long a day she had, Therese could always brighten it. She truly _was_ an angel that way. Not a mean bone in her body.

Therese glanced up blankly. She looked at Carol without really seeing her. Her blue-green eyes were puffy and red. The look on her face could only be described as shattered.

Carol walked over to her with mounting concern. "Therese…..? What's wrong?"

"My mother died," Therese said, so quietly Carol could barely hear her.

Carol wasn't sure how to respond to this. Therese seldom mentioned her mother, just as Carol rarely mentioned Rindy. These were painful subjects.

Therese buried her head in her hands and began to cry. Carol sat down next her and pulled her into her lap. She held her, unsure of what to say as Therese sobbed into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "So sorry, angel." Her long white fingers stroked Therese's dark hair. Therese was shaking she was crying so hard. Carol held her tighter, angry she was helpless to ease her pain.

After she had calmed down somewhat, Carol pushed her down so her head was on her lap. She continued stroking Therese's hair, knowing that Therese both liked her to have her hair played with and that it would calm her down.

Therese rolled onto her back so she was looking up at Carol with her red, puffy, beautiful turquoise eyes. She reached up and brushed Carol's breast lightly, then began to unbutton her blouse.

Their eyes met as Therese sat up shakily and kissed Carol's neck. "I wish my mother had fought for me and loved me as much as you love Rindy," she said huskily.

Before Carol could reply, Therese was kissing her breasts, frantically trying to undo her bra. She sucked on Carol's breast with an intensity and desperation Carol had never seen before.

She reached down for Therese's hair, stopping her. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to," Therese snapped, and resumed sucking on Carol's nipples. Carol cradled her, following her lead. She held her almost as if she were breast feeding her.

Therese kissed her way up Carol's porcelain skin, kissing her chest, her collarbone and then planting soft little kisses on her neck. She kissed Carol on the mouth, harder and more intensely than she ever had.

She looked directly into Carol's blue eyes. "Fuck me, Carol. Right now."

Carol yanked her off the couch and kissed her just as hard as Therese had kissed her. She walked her into their bedroom, their tongues dancing. She threw Therese down on the bed and flung herself on top of her.

Therese tore at Carol's skirt, flinging it aside. Carol unbuttoned and unzipped Therese's pants and tugged them down. She roughly shoved Therese's legs up and wrapped her legs around her. Therese gasped at the sensation of having Carol's clitoris on her own.

Carol thrust hard. Therese arched her back up and kissed Carol with unprecedented fierceness. Carol grabbed Therese's thin hands and held them over her head, pinning her down as she thrust as hard as she could. Therese's head banged into the wall, hard. She winced slightly. Carol put one hand on Therese's head to cushion the blows and held her hands with her other hand, but she didn't stop thrusting so hard. Therese wrapped her legs around Carol, holding on with her legs as hard as she could.

"Oh Carol," she moaned as she leaned her head back. Carol leaned down and bit her neck lightly, thrusting against her as hard as she could. Therese dug her fingernails into Carol's back as she came.

"Jesus," Therese whispered as Carol collapsed on top of her.

"Are you all right?" Carol asked, holding her tightly.

"Yes," answered Therese, although she didn't look it. Carol kissed her dark hair, her pale forehead.

"I love you, my beautiful angel," she said. "My angel, my Therese. I love you."

Therese smiled up at her. She flipped Carol over so she was on her back and began kissing her way down. She kissed her breasts, sucked the nipples hard, though not as hard as she did before. Carol moaned. She kissed the flat stomach with open mouth kisses.

Her tongue flickered over Carol's clit gently. She began to circle it with the very tip. Carol groaned and moaned. She reached down to hold Therese's hair up, as she usually did, but Therese caught them and held them down, just as Carol had done to her. She began to suck on Carol's clit lightly, increasing the pressure with every moan.

"Therese…fuck!" Carol screamed as she came.

"Did you like that," she asked, smirking. Carol smirked back.

Carol reached for her, holding her against her chest. She rested one hand on her back and the other in her hair, stroking both. She could feel Therese's heart-it was pounding.

"Are you all right?" she asked for the second time. "Your little heart is racing."

Therese looked up and smiled sweetly, tears shining in her eyes. "That's what you do to me." Carol pulled her up so they were eye to eye and kissed her.

"I love you," Therese said softly as they drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4-Not an Addict part II

Follow up to Chapter 2. No sex in this chapter, just love. Enjoy!

Carol was dumbfounded. Her beautiful, sensitive Therese using drugs? It was surreal. She needed to help her, get her off the stuff, but she didn't know how or what to do.

Finally, she came to a decision. She searched through Therese's suitcase as quietly as she could. Sure enough, she found several bags of white powder and a syringe. She flushed the powder down the toilet and threw the syringe in the garbage.

"Wake up," she said, shaking Therese awake. "We need to get going."

Therese awoke with a start. She gave Carol a sweet smile. "Good morning!" she chirped cheerfully. Carol wondered if she had used during the night.

"Come on. Move," she said sharply.

Therese was surprised. Carol had never spoken to her so sharply. She wondered what was wrong. "Where's the fire?" she asked.

"I want to get an early start. Now move it!" Carol growled at her.

Therese slid out of bed, wearing only her underwear. She went into the bathroom, then got dressed hurriedly. She didn't know why Carol was in such a bad mood but she didn't want to irritate her when she was.

"How far are we going to drive today?" Therese asked as they sped down the road.

"I don't know," Carol replied. "As far as we get."

Carol's bad mood persisted most of the day. Therese didn't say much. Around noon, her back began to hurt from sitting in the car. She knew it was time to chase the dragon.

"Can we stop for lunch?" she asked timidly.

"There are sandwiches in the back. I bought them before we left," Carol snapped. Therese was disappointed.

"Do you want one?" she asked as she twisted around to get one.

"Sure."

Therese wasn't hungry for a sandwich. But since she had asked to stop she had to at least nibble on her sandwich. She unwrapped one for Carol and one for herself.

By three, Therese was shaking. The pain was becoming unbearable. It seemed to be boring into her bone marrow.

"Can we stop for the night?" she asked, her voice shaking. She was sure Carol could tell something was wrong. "Please, Carol. I don't feel so good."

Carol glanced at her. She was shaking, her already pale face ashen. "Ok, honey. As soon as we find a place."

They were far into Ohio, nearly to Indiana. It took a while to find a town with a motel. By the time they did, it was almost five o'clock. Therese was shaking uncontrollably, barely able to stand she was in so much pain. Carol set her in a chair while they checked in.

Hang on, Therese thought. Just a few minutes.

Finally they were in their room. Therese made an excuse about want to freshen up and began digging frantically through her suitcase. She was so desperate to stop the pain she didn't notice Carol staring at her from the bed.

After she had torn threw all her clothes, still desperately searching, Carol said, "you won't find it. I flushed it down the toilet this morning."

The look Therese gave Carol would have frightened Jack the Ripper. _"Bitch!"_ Therese screamed, jumping at her stepmother. Carol hit her. Not just a little slap but really hit her. Therese went sprawling to the floor, her nose bleeding.

"I love you too much to watch you kill yourself," she said calmly to the stunned girl on the floor.

Therese began to cry. "You don't understand. I need it! It hurts!"

Carol pulled her up and put her in the bed. She sat on the edge, rubbing Therese's thin arms. "Just look at those beautiful arms," she said, rubbing the make up off. There was no denying the angry track marks now.

Therese's bones hurt so much. She reached for Carol's thin hand, holding it tight.

"Please!" she begged. "Just a little, Carol, please!"

"How long have you been putting that poison in your body?" Carol asked coldly. She didn't pull her hand away, but her tone was full of contempt.

"A year," Therese answered meekly. "Almost," she added.

"A year," Carol repeated. "My beautiful angel killing herself for a year and I didn't even know it."

Therese sat up with a great struggle. Her hands beseeched Carol, pawing at her. "Please, Carol, don't hate me." She hugged her tight, despite the pain. "I tried to stop, but I couldn't. You don't know the pain. It fucking hurts!"

Carol gingerly held Therese, afraid she would hurt her. "I don't hate you. I hate the thing that did this to you."

Therese didn't sleep a wink that night and neither did Carol. Therese moaned all night, in agony. "Carol, it hurts," she whimpered. "It hurts!"

Carol was powerless to take the pain away. All she could do was watch, heartbroken. The next day, Therese began vomiting. She was vomiting so violently and so often that there was no way they could travel.

"Please, Carol," Therese begged, panting on the floor after just vomiting for the fifth time. "Just a little bit!"

"No," said Carol, not unkindly. She got a washcloth and soaked it in cold water. She gently wiped Therese's face. She helped her out to the room and pulled her clothes off her. After helping her into clean pajamas, she put her to bed.

Therese pulled Carol into bed with her. She frantically fawned at her, hanging on tightly. She was so anxious she was nearly jumping out of her skin. "Carol, please! I started because of you, because I couldn't handle how I felt. I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you too," Carol replied, holding her tenderly, gently, not too hard so she didn't hurt her. "Very, very much. So I will not watch you kill yourself."

Therese told Carol to do something she never even would've thought of if she wasn't in such pain as she threw up yet again.

"My angel," Carol said, as she yet again picked Therese up off the floor and washed her face.

Therese looked up at her stepmother, beseeching her with her incredible turquoise eyes. Her stomach felt like a twisted paper bag, her bones were on fire. "Carol, please," she begged again. She began fawning at her in desperation. "Please, just a little bit, to help with the puking. It hurts, it fucking _hurts_!"

"No," was the firm reply.

Carol half carried Therese back to bed. "It's ok," she said, as she held the trembling Therese. "It'll be ok."

Between Therese's ramblings and vomiting, neither got much sleep again that night. The next day, the vomiting decreased and the sweating began. Therese was shivering so much she sweat buckets, her whole body drenched in sweat.

"Cold," Therese murmured as she crawled on Carol, desperate for human contact, "I'm so fucking cold."

As she was drenched with sweat, Carol was surprised. But she knew Therese was telling the truth. She couldn't make anything up in this state.

"Come on," Carol said, helping her into the bathroom. She took her clothes off first, then pulled Therese's T shirt over her head. She turned on the shower as warm as she could, then pulled Therese in.

Therese released a sound between a groan and a sigh. "We both must reek to high heaven," Carol said, massaging shampoo into her stepdaughter's hair. She gently ran a bar of soap over Therese's back, down her legs, before turning her around to wash her front. Thoughts of what she would like to be doing in the shower with this girl ran through her mind but she brushed them away.

Therese turned around unsteadily and looked up at Carol. Carol washed her face for what felt like the hundredth time. Therese rested her head against Carol's shoulder as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. She rested a hand on Carol's waist and the other on the wall for support. She looked up at her and whispered, "I love you, I love you, I love you. Even though you're putting me through this, I love you."

Carol smirked down into the haunted turquoise eyes. "It's because I love you I'm doing this." She pulled her out of the shower and toweled them both dry. Therese was finally calming down and seemed like she might be able to sleep. They lay down and Therese rested her head on Carol's stomach. Finally, after much caressing and stroking from her stepmother, Therese fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5-Control

Control

Therese didn't say a word to Carol on the ride to her apartment. Carol followed her lead. She was so afraid of breathing wrong and waking up, to find this was just another dream. Looking up at dinner and seeing her angel standing there was a miracle. She reached for Therese's hand and squeezed it. Therese squeezed back and smiled at her. She traced her nails on Carol's hand. Carol knew this was definitely not a dream.

The cold air made them gasp as they got out of the cab. Carol pulled Therese into the building and to the elevator. Therese still didn't say anything.

As soon as they walked in the door, Carol pinned Therese against the wall and kissed her as hard and deeply as she could. She unbuttoned her coat and slid her hands under Therese's sweater, rubbing her back.

Therese looked up at her, her turquoise eyes wide and surprised. "What was that for?"

"I had to be sure you're not a dream," Carol said huskily, staring down at her angel, holding her face.

"Don't worry," Therese said. "I'm not."

She looked around the apartment, an amused look on her face. Carol watched her closely.

"Are you all right?" she asked, caressing her cheek.

Therese smiled up at her, a sweet, shy but mischievous smile.

"Yes." She looked around again. "Beautiful place, Carol. Where is the bedroom?"

Giving a sigh of relief, Carol took Therese's thin, cold hand and led her down the hall.

She held Therese's hand tightly, reassuring herself it wasn't all a dream.

"This is my bedroom. The other one is the guest room. You are welcome to stay there if…you aren't comfortable in here," Carol said as she turned on the light. Therese had never seen Carol so anxious. Their roles were reversed. It was as if Carol was afraid Therese would disappear if she sneezed.

Therese gingerly sat on the edge of Carol's bed, and gave her a sweet, reassuring smile. Her angelic smile that Carol loved. "Carol…" she said softly, "I don't want to sleep in the guestroom."

Carol sat beside her. She felt like a teenager on her first date. She rested a hand on Therese's back, the other in her hair and kissed her tentatively. Therese kissed her shoulder. Carol reached for her pants and unzipped them, pulling them off Therese in one fluid movement. Therese unzipped Carol's dress. Carol stood up and let it slide off, leaving her in her pearly white slip. Therese pulled her back to her before she could take it of and took off her own sweater, leaving herself in a pink bra and underwear.

Carol tried to push her back, but Therese resisted. She gave Carol a mischievous smile. "Oh no, Carol, I don't think so. Tonight it is going to be _my_ way."

She pushed Carol back and lie on top of her, still smirking as she kissed her elegant neck. Carol reached for her but Therese held her hands down.

"No touching," she said, running her teeth against Carol's neck. "Only I get to touch."

Carol was taken with this new, confident Therese. Therese kissed her way down to her breast. She kissed it through the fabric of her slip, then pushed up so she could suck on it. She sucked on Carol's erect nipples, taking her time, enjoying the flavor and Carol's moans. Carol reached for her head, wanting to hold it, but again Therese pushed her hands away.

"No touching!" she said firmly. "I see you can't control yourself. I will help you." She unhooked her bra and wrapped it around Carol's wrists. Then she lifted her hands above her head, fastening them to the headboard with the straps.

"That's better," she smirked. She kissed Carol on the mouth but wouldn't let her kiss any other part of her body.

"Why did you want to stay the night if you didn't want me to touch you?" Carol teased playfully.

"Ahh….," Therese teased back, sliding back down her body, "have you ever played that game, where people write letters on your back with their fingers?"

"Yes," answered Carol, unsure where this was heading.

"Good," said Therese as she slid further down, "because we are going to play a much more fun, adult version.

She pushed the slip up to Carol's hips, pulling her underwear down at the same time. She kissed the inside of Carol's thighs, enjoying Carol's sighs and moans. She pushed the slender white legs apart and kissed her clitoris. Carol's gasped, for Therese had never kissed her there before. She tugged at her binds, bucking her hips up.

Therese smiled to herself. She drew a line down Carol's clit with the point of her tongue, then two vertical lines on the top and bottom. Carol groaned. Therese drew another vertical line, then circled Carol's clit. Carol let out a short yell. Therese licked one line down at a slant, than drew a line up the other side. She drew a line horizontally, then circled Carol's clit again. Two short slanted lines, followed by a horizontal line down followed. She drew a languid circle again, followed by a one line down then up and over. Carol was panting. Therese smiled up at her, her angelic smile that was for Carol alone. Then she put her tongue flat against Carol's clitoris and sucked it gently.

Carol moaned and screamed and quickly came. Therese held her hips steady, delighted that she had this power.

She crawled up Carol's body and collapsed on her, burying her face in the crook of Carol's neck. She untied her hands, smiling the whole time. "Now you can touch me," she smirked.

Carol didn't need to be told twice. She caressed the soft skin of Therese's back, played with her hair. She flipped her onto her back so she could lay on top of her. She just wanted to hold Therese forever.

"What did you write on me?" she asked as she stroked her dark hair.

Therese smiled shyly. "I love you."

"And I love you," said Carol, kissing her hard. She kissed her neck softly as she lined up their cores. She thrust gently onto Therese at first, then faster and faster. Therese held onto her as tightly as she could Carol made love to her. She hid her face against her neck, kissing the pale skin.

They came at the same time. Carol held Therese tightly, enjoying the beautiful body.

"My angel," said Carol, kissing Therese's forehead. "Flung from space. Will you stay with me?"

Therese smiled up at her. "Yes. Forever."

They fell asleep in each other's arms.


	6. Chapter 6-Not an addict Part III

Not an addict Part III

Therese was finally well enough to travel. She lay in the back of the car, sleeping as Carol drove. Seemed like all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," Carol said after a while. "You need to eat something."

Therese was still shaky and weak so Carol had to help her to the diner. She ordered chicken noodle soup for Therese and a hamburger for herself. "Eat it," Carol told her as Therese scowled at her bowl. Therese picked up her spoon obediently and ate as much as she could.

"You did well," Carol said as they drove away. "Eating will help."

Therese smiled weakly at her stepmother. She still wanted the dragon, but the desire was less now. The pain was decreasing, but it was still there, especially in the car.

"Can we stop soon?" Therese asked after what felt like they'd driven a thousand miles. "Please, Carol. I need to sleep in an actual bed."

Carol looked at her stepdaughter. She was pale and trembling but she definitely looked better than she had a few days previously. "Ok, angel. There's a town coming up."

She helped her trebling stepdaughter into the room. Therese collapsed on the bed. She just wanted to sleep.

"Come on," Carol said, pulling her up.

"Please Carol," said a groggy Therese, "let me sleep."

"Later. We are going to wash the trip off ourselves."

Therese grumbled but Carol pulled her into the bathroom anyway. She ran the shower, took Therese's clothes off and shoved her in before taking her own off and joining her.

Therese was able to enjoy this shower more than the previous one. She sank back against Carol as she massaged shampoo into her hair. She only came up to about her shoulder, but her head fit perfectly there. Carol's hands roamed over her body. Therese brought one up to her mouth and kissed the long fingers.

"My angel," Carol said as she washed Therese's hair. "You already look so much better."

"Do you still love me?" Therese whispered, sounding like she was five.

Carol bent down so she was eye level with Therese. She held her face and looked deep into the despairing turquoise eyes. "I will always love you, Therese. I did what I did out of love, not to punish you."

Therese was shaking so hard she needed to put her hand on the wall for support. She tried to say something but all that came out was a choked sob. Tears streamed down her face. Carol finished washing her, then wrapped her in a towel and dried her off. She helped her into clean pajamas and led her to bed.

"Lay down with me," Therese croaked out and pulled Carol towards the bed. Carol lay down beside the shaking girl and held her. Therese rested her head on Carol's shoulder and enjoyed the caresses. She kissed Carol's cheek and started to her neck. Carol leaned her head back and ran her fingers through Therese's wet dark hair. She kissed the pale forehead and made Therese stop what she was doing.

"What's wrong?" asked her confused stepdaughter. "I thought you still loved me."

"I do. I always will. But you still aren't well. I want you to rest."

Therese immediately stopped what she was doing, in fear of making Carol stop loving her. Carol pulled her to her and stroked her hair. Therese smiled up at her. "I understand why you did what you did now. I love you." She shyly stretched up to kiss Carol's cheek, which Carol leaned down for her.

"My beautiful angel," Carol said, her heart breaking that Therese had started using drugs because of her, not being able to deal with her feelings for her.

"I can hear your heart," Therese murmured as she drifted up to sleep. "I love you," she sighed and fell asleep.

Carol held Therese as she slept on her, caressing the fragile girl in her sleep. "I love you too, angel. More than you will ever know."


	7. Chapter 7-The Museum

The Museum

"This will be fun," said Therese's art teacher, Mrs. Aird, as the sped towards Washington D.C. The class was going to the capital to explore the museums and get a taste of the American capital.

Therese smiled. She had to sit next to her teacher because there were no other seats. Secretly, she didn't mind that. Mrs. Aird was far and away her favorite teacher. Beautiful, kind and always very gentle with the sensitive Therese. Therese almost felt like she loved her. But that was silly. Mrs. Aird was married and besides, she was female.

At the museum, most of the other students feigned polite interest in the art work and wondered off after a while. A few of the chaperones went with them. But Therese was genuinely enthralled by the art work in front of her. She especially liked a series of photographs in which the subject was an angel. The angel in the first photograph was getting her instructions from her supervisor. In the next she was attempting to carry them out, helping children cross a rickety bridge. The third picture, she was simply looking at the camera, a look of utmost devastation on her face. Even though the picture was black and white, you could tell the girl's eyes were blue, which contrasted with her dark hair and pale skin. The fourth picture, an obviously devastated angel was sitting at the river, forlorn that she was unable to carry out her assignment.

"She looks just like you," Mrs. Aird's voice said behind Therese. Therese jumped about a foot. She was focusing so intently on the pictures she was deaf to everything else.

"Thank you," Therese said hoarsely. "I only wish I looked like that."

Mrs. Aird smiled kindly. "Oh Therese. Don't sell yourself short. You are a beautiful young lady."

Therese blushed furiously at that. "Thank you," she said again.

Mrs. Aird smiled at Therese. She _did_ look like an angel. Her delicate face had a rare, innocent look about it. As if she were incapable of hurting anyone.

"By the way," Mrs. Aird informed her as they walked along, "did you know you and I are roommates tonight? We split the group up so a chaperone would be in each group of four, and you and I were the odd ones out."

Therese wasn't surprised. She had friends, but not close ones like the others. Besides, the thought of being alone with Mrs. Aird all night was intriguing.

Three hours later, they stumbled into their hotel. Therese's feet were killing her from all the walking. They throbbed.

Therese didn't care what her classmates were doing. She only wanted to lie down and get off her feet for a few minutes.

"Take a rest," Mrs. Aird said. "I'm going to hop in the shower."

Therese kicked her shoes and shut her eyes. She didn't fall asleep.

She opened her eyes with a start when Mrs. Aird came out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but an untied bathrobe. Therese couldn't help it, she stared. Mrs. Aird's body was flawless, porcelain and beautiful.

Mrs. Aird looked at her and smirked. Therese looked away, mortified.

"Don't blush, Therese. Looking at another person isn't a sin." Mrs. Aird sauntered over to the bed and stood in front of her. She smiled knowingly.

Therese blushed more furiously than ever. "I…you…oh God, Mrs. Aird! You look like one of the paintings we saw today!" she stammered.

Mrs. Arid sat down and began to massage Therese's aching feet. "Call me Carol, Therese."

Carol began working her way up Therese's sore legs, under her dress. "You can tell me to stop if you want to," she teased, knowing Therese was going to do no such thing.

Therese shook her head. "That feels so good. I'm so sore from walking around all day."

Carol leaned around her and unzipped her dress. She pulled it off, and admired the slender girl in nothing but a slip. Therese tried to cover herself half-heartedly but Carol put her hand on her arm. "Don't. You're so beautiful. I want to see you."

Carol's thin hands reached under the slip and began massaging Therese's back. She smiled kindly at her.

"You're trembling. You can tell me to stop any time."

"Feel my heart," Therese answered, taking Carol's hand and placing it over her own palpitating heart. It was racing, pounding in a way Therese had never experienced before.

Now Carol was concerned. "Are you all right? It is okay if you tell me to stop-I won't be angry."

"I don't want to stop," Therese whispered, so softly Carol had to strain to hear her. "It's just….I've never done this before."

"You'll be fine," Carol replied, gently massaging Therese's small breasts through the slip. She caressed Therese through and under her slip. Their eyes met, blue on teal, and without a word, Therese lifted her arms so Carol could pull it over her head. She sat there in her underwear and nothing else. She was embarrassed yet wanted what was coming. Self-consciously, Therese tried to cover her breasts again.

"Don't," Carol said, pulling her hands away. "You look just like the angel in those photographs. _My_ angel."

Therese smiled. Carol pushed her back on the bed and straddled her, running her fingers all over the pale, slender body. "So beautiful, Therese. Hasn't anyone ever told you that before?"

She leaned down and kissed her, their lips meeting soft and sweet. Carol lay down on top of Therese. Therese, unsure what to do, wrapped her arms around her.

Carol began kissing her neck, soft and sensual kisses. Long fingers fluttered into Therese's underwear and inside of her.

"Ah…ow..ow-ow!" Therese cried, digging her fingernails into Carol's back.

Carol stopped and looked down at Therese's pained face. She withdrew her fingers to find them coated in blood-Therese's blood.

"Therese…when you said you've never done this before….did you mean _ever?"_

Therese looked away. "Yes….it's my first time… _ever."_

Carol held Therese's face with both hands. "Are you sure you want to do this? This is a really important step in your life."

Therese smiled shyly up at her. "If you do. Wait-aren't you married?"

Carol snorted. "We're getting divorced. Besides, he couldn't do for me in seven years what you have in seven minutes."

Therese blushed again. Carol leaned down and gently kissed her neck, taking her time. Therese arched her body in Carol's. Carol held her tightly, kissing her collarbone. She sucked each nipple with enough pressure to make Therese moan.

"Are you ready?" she asked, stroking Therese's dark hair out of her face. Therese smiled and nodded.

Carol lay down on top of Therese and bucked against her core. Therese gasped at the sensation, digging her fingernails into Carol's back. Carol thrust again, knocking Therese's head into the wall. She kissed the pale neck, making Therese moan. Therese thought this must be what heaven would be like. She hung onto Carol tightly as she bucked and grinded and ground against her.

After a while, Carol stopped. It was clear Therese was enjoying this, but nowhere nearing coming. Carol smiled at her, then kissed her neck, down to her collarbone. She sucked on one breast while caressing the other, making Therese gasp again. She kissed Therese's racing heart, then each rib. She slid her tall body down to Therese's middle and pushed her legs up and apart. She gave Therese's clitoris a gentle kiss, then began sucking on it. Therese nearly screamed. Carol kept sucking on Therese until her hips bucked and she came. Carol held her steady.

She crawled back up next to Therese and pulled her into her arms. Therese rested her head on Carol's breasts, enjoying her caresses and stroking her hair. She was so quiet Carol asked if she was all right.

Therese smiled up at her, a smile not unlike one would see on a Renaissance painting of an angel. She kissed Carol's cheek and whispered, "I love you."

Carol kissed Therese's dark hair and whispered "I love you too," back as they drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8-Stay

Stay

Therese hadn't come to the Oak Room. Carol felt more pain in her heart than she thought possible as she climbed the stairs to her new apartment. She wondered if she would ever see her angel again. Therese had sworn she didn't hate her, that she understood why Carol had done what she had, but she must have been so angry. Not ready to talk to her again.

Carol hung up her coat and was startled by a knock on the door. It was nearly midnight. She looked out the peephole and saw a familiar dark haired girl.

"I'm so glad you're here," Therese rambled, looking dangerously close to tears as soon as Carol opened the door. Her hair was wet and wild from the rain, her face chalk white, her turquoise eyes huge. She looked like a heroine on the run from a werewolf in a horror movie. "I went to the Oak Room but you had already left. One of your friends told me where you lived." Therese began to cry, sobbing so hard Carol was afraid she wouldn't be able to breathe.

She pulled the sobbing Therese into her arms and pushed the door shut. Therese only came up to her shoulder. "I was so scared something had happened to you, that you wouldn't want me anymore if I didn't come to the Oak Room," Therese sobbed so hard Carol could barely understand her. "I love you so much, Carol. I love you, I love you, I love you."

"Shhhh," Carol comforted her, leading her to the couch. She sat down and pulled Therese into her lap. "I'm okay. Everything is okay. "

Therese finally cried herself out after a few minutes. Carol held her tight, savoring the miracle of this girl in her arms.

Therese looked up at her with puffy red eyes. Carol felt her pounding heart through the thin fabric of her dress. "I had to tell you I love you. You're the first person who ever said it to me first."

Carol smiled down at her. Therese leaned up to kiss her. "Come on," Carol said, taking her hand and leading her down the hall. "It's late and we're both tired."

She gave Therese a pair of pink pajamas, which looked wonderful on her with her dark hair and pale skin. They contrasted with her eyes, though, which were still red from sobbing so hard.

Carol put on a pair of green pajamas and got into bed. She motioned for Therese to join her.

Therese curled up next to her, resting her head on Carol's breast. She leaned up to kiss Carol's cheek, then her neck. Carol put her hand in her hair. "Stop."

"Why?" asked Therese, panic in her voice.

"I think you are very tired," Carol answered, pushing Therese's head back down to her chest. "I want you to sleep tonight, angel."

Carol began massaging Therese's back. She was so tense it was like massage a board.

"Here, lie on your stomach," Carol told her as she flipped Therese over and straddled her back. She reached under the thin pajama top to massage Therese's tight back.

"Wow, you are tense," Carol commented as she kneaded Therese's knotted shoulders.

"Well, I wonder who caused that!" Therese retorted, somewhat sarcastically. Carol was surprised. Therese had never been snippy before. She was very tired indeed.

"My angel," Carol said after a while of massaging her quietly. There was no answer. Therese was sound asleep.

"My angel," Carol whispered again as she held her from behind. "I love you."

Therese woke up the next morning to find Carol gone. The scent of French toast drifted into the room. Her stomach growled, reminding her it had been nearly eighteen hours since she had eaten.

"Morning," she greeted Carol as she wandered out to the kitchen.

Carol turned around and smiled at her. "Good morning, angel."

"That smells good," Therese smiled back.

"French toast for my Czech angel," Carol smirked.

Therese smirked back. She reached around Carol and turned off the burner.

"I wasn't talking about the food," Therese said, still smirking. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Carol on the mouth. She reached for the tie and frantically untied Carol's robe. Ignoring Carol's pleas that they eat breakfast first, she began kissing her way down the tall body.

Carol stopped protesting when Therese kissed her breasts. She sucked gently on one nipple, then the other as she knelt down and began kissing Carol's stomach. Carol leaned back against the counter, gripping it for support as Therese planted open mouth kisses down her stomach. She tore at Carol's underwear with her teeth. There was no teasing this morning; Therese put her lips on Carol's swollen clitoris and sucked it gently. Carol put one hand on Therese's head and used the other to support herself.

"Therese...Jesus….Fuck!" she stammered as she came.

Therese smiled up at Carol as she tried to catch her breath. Carol reached down and pulled her up, kissing her urgently. She kissed her back into the bedroom. Therese tried to kiss Carol's neck but she was too short. Carol picked the skinny girl up and carried her to the bed. The two of them hit the mattress together, Carol laying fully on top of Therese.

"I love you," Therese whispered as Carol kissed her neck.

"I love you too, angel," Carol rasped back as she unbuttoned Therese's pajama top. She smiled down at her, caressing her small breasts. "My beautiful angel, my Therese. You have no idea how much I love you."

Therese wriggled out of her pajama bottoms. Carol pulled down her underwear, sliding a finger inside her. Therese winced. Carol pulled it out and lay down on top of her again. Therese bent her knees and spread her legs. She began to thrust, harder than she had before and with more intensity. Therese leaned her head back. Carol threaded her fingers through her dark hair as she thrust against Therese's core, kissing her hair, her neck, her lips, watching her turquoise eyes darken than light up as she came.

Carol held her tight as spasms rocked her body. Therese leaned up and kissed her cheek and mouth. Carol collapsed on top of her, kissing her forehead.

"Will you stay with me?" Carol murmured into her ear.

Therese smirked up at her. "Of course I will stay. That was the best morning wake up ever."


	9. Chapter 9-Not an addict part IV

Not an Addict Part IV

"Are you going to tell Dad?" Therese asked Carol as they sped across the flat vastness of Iowa.

Carol glanced at her stepdaughter then back to the road. "No. As long as you stay off it, I won't tell your father."

Therese gave a sigh of relief. She felt better, both physically and emotionally, than she had the whole trip. She was still shaky and nauseous at times, but nothing like the paralyzing fatigue and vomiting she had been through.

Therese wanted to thank Carol for helping her. She had wanted to quit before, had tried to several times in fact, but could never stand the withdrawal for more than a day. That was pushing it. But Carol had forced her and for that she was grateful. But she couldn't find the words, so she said nothing.

"Where am I going to live when we go back to New York?" Therese asked after a while. Her anxiety was rising, as it usually did in mid-afternoon. "I know I'm nineteen, but I'm still in college. Who-"

Carol reached over and took Therese's thin hand in hers. She glanced from her to the road and back to Therese. "You're welcome to live with me. I would like you to, actually." She didn't add she wanted her to so she could make sure she didn't relapse.

Therese squeezed her hand and smiled.

They stopped for the night somewhere in the middle of Iowa. Therese never realized how big the country was.

"That's better," Carol said as sat down and kicked her heels off. She massaged her aching feet. Therese began massaging them for her. Carol scooted back on the bed so Therese didn't have to sit on the floor. She lay down, her tall body

"You should do this for a living," Carol suggested. Therese knew what she was doing, applying just enough pressure to not hurt.

Therese smirked at her and began massaging her legs. "You're so tense."

"Well, a lot has happened over the last few days," Carol reminded her sardonically.

Therese blushed, embarrassed Carol had seen her the way she had. She looked down at her arms, running her fingers over the still visible track marks. She thought of the way drugs made her feel-no pain, no guilt over her feelings for Carol. She hoped she was strong enough to stay away from them.

Therese resumed massaging Carol's legs for a while then smiled rather shyly.

Carol put her hand on Therese's and pulled her up to her. "Lie next to me, angel. I want to feel you."

Therese crawled next to Carol and put her head on her breast. Carol stroked her hair. "Are you all right?" she asked. Therese's heart was pounding.

Therese looked up at her stepmother, tears in her eyes. "I was just thinking, nobody else cared enough to notice what I was doing to myself. I tried to stop before, I always told myself I wasn't an addict. I wasn't like those people you see on the street. You must really love me to have still be here after….," Therese bit her lip, unable to continue. She looked down at her arms again and thought of the hell she had been through the a few days before, what she had put Carol through. The constant vomiting, the shaking, the cold sweats. The swearing and yelling at Carol. She rubbed her nose, still a bit swollen from where Carol had hit her.

Therese's eyes met with Carol's, beautiful blue on spectacular teal. Carol sat up and held Therese's face in her slender hands. Looking straight into her eyes, Carol said, "I will always love you, Therese. I will help you through this." She kissed her gently, barely a flutter of lips.

Therese smiled her angelic smiled. She looked like a Raphael Madonna. "I love you too."

"I will love you forever," Carol replied, kissing her forehead.

Therese smiled and kissed Carol on the mouth. "Make love to me, Carol."

Carol pulled Therese's clothes off. She took a good look at her recovering body. Therese was still much too thin and pale, there were scars and bruises Carol hadn't noticed before. Probably from falling down so much.

Therese blushed and tried to cover herself but Carol pushed her hands away. "Don't. I love your body."

Therese went even redder and smiled shyly. Carol lay down on top of her and began kissing her neck. She planted soft kisses down to her collarbone. Still fully clothed, she began thrusting against her nude stepdaughter.

Therese arched her back into Carol, feeling her naked skin against the silk of her blouse, her legs against the rough tweed of Carol's skirt. Carol smirked down at her, running her fingers lightly up her spine. Electricity ran through Therese's body.

"Please, Carol," she whispered huskily. "Please, I want to feel you."

Carol's smirk deepened. "Anything for you," she answered and peeled her clothes off. Therese reached up to feel her breasts but Carol brushed her hands away.

She pinned Therese to the bed with her body, holding her hands down. Carol wrapped her legs around Therese's middle and thrust. Not too hard, as Therese was still fragile. Therese leaned her head back. Carol kissed her neck as she thrust. Her pale fingers wove through Therese's dark hair as Therese bucked up against her.

"I love you," Therese said hoarsely and came.

"I love you too, baby," Carol said as she collapsed on top of her.

Carol held Therese very tightly as she snuggled up against her. "My angel," she said as she kissed her forehead. "Flung from space."

Therese smiled at her. "Want to hop in the shower with me?"

Carol smiled back. "Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10-Forever

Forever Carol and Therese strolled hand-in-hand along the frozen path along Niagara Falls. "Are you sure?" Carol asked for the hundredth time. "Yes," Therese breathed, her breath frosty in the cold air. "I'm sure." She shivered from head to toe. Never in her life had she been so cold. Carol smiled down at the beautiful girl in front of her, the one she was lucky enough to spend eternity with. Her face was ethereal in the moon light. "You will stay young and beautiful like this forever, Therese. I just don't want to have any regrets." Therese smiled up at her, her eyes dark blue in the freezing cold. "Regrets? About being with you? Never." "C'mon," Carol said and pulled her quickly along the path to their hotel. "You're so cold," she said when they were in their room. She pulled the skinny girl into her lap and rubbed her back. Therese began to kiss her neck when she warmed up a bit. Carol reached under her sweater and caressed the soft flesh. She pulled it off and kissed Therese pa "Take me to bed," she whispered in Carol's ear, kissing the around the auricle. Carol didn't need to be told twice. She picked up Therese and carried her to bed as if she were no heavier than a doll. She lay her down gently and sat next to her, looking down at her angel and running her fingers up and down the thin body. "Let's take this off," she said, and leaned around to unhook Therese's bra. She slid it off and stroked the small breasts. "Lie on top of me," Therese whispered and pulled Carol on top of her. Carol smiled down at her and kissed her neck, down to her collarbone. She kissed and sucked each breast lightly. Therese moaned and arched her back. Carol unzipped her skirt and pulled it off the skinny girl. Therese now lay in her pink underwear and nothing else. Carol smiled as she gently ran her fingers up and down Therese's pale body. Therese tried to smile back but she was too nervous. She was trembling so violently she was sure she would knock Carol off of her. "Relax," Carol whispered, kissing her forehead, her temple, stroking her dark hair. Therese was ten times more beautiful in the moonlight, ethereal and angelic. Carol held her tightly, kissing her neck. Therese slid out of her underwear and now lay completely naked beneath Carol, who was still dressed. Therese reached under Carol's blouse and caressed her back. "Take it off, please," she asked. "I want to feel you." Carol smiled again at this polite girl, this angel. _Her_ angel. Carol shed her clothes and pushed Therese's legs up. She lay between them and thrust her core against Therese's. She held her tightly as she thrust against the fragile girl, who clung to her just as tightly. Carol felt her racing heart. Therese bent her head back, exposing her neck. Carol kissed it, savoring the sweet, salty skin. "Are you ready?" she asked huskily, still thrusting, her long fingers entwined in Therese's dark hair. Ocean blue eyes met turquoise eyes and didn't move. "Yes," breathed Therese, "more than I have ever been for anything." Sharp white fangs poked out of Carol's mouth. She lingered over Therese's neck, kissing it again before biting her, sinking her fangs into her angel. Therese gasped sharply at the pain and bucked up against Carol. Carol tightened her grip around the thin body, holding her head with one hand and her body with the other. Therese dug her fingernails into Carol's back, totally at her mercy. Finally, Carol stopped. She sat up, blood running from her mouth down her chin and chest. She seemed to Therese to be about eight feet tall when she towered over her like that. Carol dragged a razor sharp fingernail across her breast. More blood ran down. She helped Therese sit up. She held the weak, pale girl up. "Are you sure?" she asked, looking down into Therese's beautiful, delicate face. Therese didn't answer. She just drank the blood flowing out of Carol. Carol put her hand on her head to signal she should stop after a few minutes. Carol kissed her hair and pushed her down. She wanted to make love, to taste her angel but she knew her fragile body wouldn't be able to take it. Instead she lay beside her, holding her, stroking her, kissing her head and hair. "My angel," Carol said as she kissed the pale forehead. "You and I are one forever. I love you so much." Therese smiled up at her, then kissed her directly on the heart. "I love you, Carol. I want to spend forever with you." They fell asleep in each other's arms. 


	11. Chapter 11

Control II

Carol looked down at the pale girl next to her. Asleep, she looked like an angel more than ever. The night before she had been anything but angelic. Carol smiled at the memory of being tied to the bedpost with Therese's bra as she ate her out.

Therese's turquoise eyes fluttered open. "Morning," she said thickly. "Why are you staring at me?"

Carol smirked down at her. "Just admiring my angel. You look so young and innocent asleep."

Therese sat up and smirked back. "Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving!"

Therese insisted on making breakfast that morning. She made what she called birds nest-which was a piece of bread with a hole cut in the middle and an egg fried in the hole. Carol sat and watched, amazed at this girl cooking up a storm her kitchen. Beauty, brains and cooking skills to boot, Carol thought to herself. Could Therese be any more perfect?

" _Les oeufs par Therese_!" she said proudly, setting two plates down on the table. Carol had never eaten such a delicious breakfast.

Therese didn't say much as they ate. She seemed deep in thought. Carol chatted nervously to fill the silence. She was still afraid Therese would vanish in the breeze.

"What are you thinking?" Carol finally asked as they began to clean up.

Therese blushed. "About last night. Did you mind….what I did?"

Carol snorted. "Mind? Therese. That was the hottest night of my life!"

Therese blushed even more furiously. She tried to say something but it came out a muffled giggle.

Carol smiled. "You're so cute when you blush." She pulled the still blushing Therese into her lap and kissed her deeply. Soft lips pressed into the pale neck. Therese rolled her head back. Carol held her head and dragged her teeth along her neck. Therese groaned.

"Bed," Carol suggested.

They kissed back to the bedroom. Therese stumbled backwards as her knees bumped into the mattress. Carol fell on top of her. She broke the kiss to admire the beautiful girl beneath her. Her dark hair stuck out in all directions, her turquoise eyes bright in her pale face. Therese smiled nervously up at Carol.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Carol answered, kissing the pale forehead. "I love you so much. You're an angel for so many reasons…." Her voice trailed off. Therese may have forgiven her for abandoning her out west but Carol hadn't forgiven herself yet.

"Carol-" Therese said, but was silenced by a ferocious kiss. Carol's tongue darted into her mouth and onto her tongue. Swiftly, Carol began kissing Therese's neck, planting soft kisses from top to bottom.

She rested her head on Therese's, panting. "How can you forgive me for what I did?"

Therese looked away. "I understand why you did it. It hurt, I can't pretend it didn't. But I understand." She smiled shyly up at Carol. "And I love you. That never changed."

Tears streamed down Carol's face. "I'll never hurt you again. Never."

There was no teasing this morning. Carol slid down Therese's thin body, kissing her breasts and stomach. She pushed her legs up and kissed her clitoris gently. Therese let out a soft contented sigh.

Carol didn't want to waste time. She began sucking Therese's clitoris, varying the pressure with Therese's screams of pleasure. She held Therese's hands as she bucked and came, harder then she had before.

"Carol… _Fuck!_ " Therese moaned as she came. She reached down and pulled Carol on top of her. Carol wasted no time pulling off her own clothes. She aligned herself against Therese and bucked hard. Therese reached up to hold on to her. Carol held her hands down over her head as she rode Therese faster and harder.

"Trust me," Carol whispered in her ear as she ran her teeth lightly along her neck. She wrapped her legs around Therese's middle and thrust hard. Therese rolled her head back and moaned. Carol had her pinned to the bed, making love to her. Their breasts pressed together, their clitorises massaged and bucked against each other.

Carol thrust hard, banging her head into the pillows behind her and the bed into the wall until finally she let go of Therese's hands and held her head as she moaned and bucked and came.

She collapsed on top of Therese, panting. Therese ran her thumb along Carol's side, up to her ribs and across her back. Carol shivered and kissed her temple.

"I love you so, so much," Carol murmured in the girl's ear.

Therese kissed her cheek. "And I love you. I will love you forever."

They stayed in bed the rest of the morning.


	12. Chapter 12-Hallelujah

Hallelujah

What if Carol hadn't abandoned Therese in Iowa? No sex just love. Enjoy!

" _I already sent the tapes to Harge."_ The private investigator's voice echoed in Carol's head. Harge's lawyers had the tapes. They knew about her and Therese. She couldn't change that. One thing was certain, she didn't want to make a mess of her daughter's life. As painful as it was, Rindy would be better off if she didn't fight for her. Harge would agree to visitation, she was sure of that. Even if they were supervised, she could live with that. What she couldn't live with was making a mess of Rindy's life. Or Therese's.

Therese stirred in her arms, cuddling closer to her. Carol felt a knife of guilt stab her heart at the thought of leaving her, this angel in her arms. The idea of abandoning her, of breaking her heart was unfathomable. Carol couldn't picture a shattered Therese, especially if she was the one who did the shattering.

She slid out of Therese's arms and out to the lobby. The sun was just beginning to rise, turning the sky the palest of pink. Carol smiled, for pink was Therese's favorite color and looked great on her. With her pale skin and dark hair, the color gave her an ethereal appearance.

Carol looked between the pay phone and the parking lot, deep in thought. Then she dug into her pocket for some change and called her lawyer.

A few minutes later, a disheveled and slightly frantic Therese came barreling out of the room into the hallway wearing only her bathrobe and shoes. She looked around in a panic for Carol and let out a colossal sigh of relief when she saw her in the phone booth. Relieved but still on edge, Therese went to get them free coffee. She didn't dare take her eyes off Carol.

"Are you all right?" Carol asked Therese when she joined her for coffee. Indeed, Therese was quite a sight. Her dark hair stuck up in all directions, her face was ashen, her turquoise eyes wild. She seemed to be having trouble breathing.

Therese nodded, but looked at Carol with tears in her eyes. "Carol-" she began, than broke into a round of hacking coughs.

Carol helped her outside and into the cough. She packed their suitcases as quickly as she could, checked out and practically ran to the car.

"What's wrong, angel?" she asked as they sped away.

"When I woke up you were gone," Therese answered, tears streaming down her deathly white face. "I thought you….that you…had left without me. And I wouldn't blame you if you did. But-" At this point Therese lost all control and began to sob. Her sobs choked her and she began to cough, hacking coughs that shook her whole body.

Carol pulled over and Therese opened the door so she could cough up the green gunk. When she had calmed down somewhat, Carol pulled her to her and held her tight.

"Calm down. Everything is all right. I called my lawyer this morning. That's who I was talking to. The tapes have been sent to Harge already. We will work out an arrangement, even if it is supervised visits. I will not put Rindy through the trauma of a trial."

"It's my fault," Therese said, tears welling in her eyes again. "I shouldn't have-"

Carol backed up and held her at arm's length. She put one hand on her face so she had to look at her. She bent down so they were eye level. Brilliant blue on teary turquoise.

"It's not your fault, Therese. None of this mess is your fault. We both wanted what happened to happen."

They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, then Therese hugged Carol so fast and hard she nearly knocked her over.

"I love you," Therese whispered hoarsely into Carol's hair. Carol held her tightly. Her thin body trembled violently.

"And I love you," Carol replied, as she stroked Therese's back, trying to calm her down. She kissed the side of Therese's forehead. "My angel, my Therese. Flung out of space."

Therese gave her a shaky smile. Carol started the car and they got back on the road. Carol kept one hand on the wheel and held Therese's with the other.

They drove quietly for a while, except for Therese's racking coughs. Carol stopped to get her a lemon tea with honey, but that didn't seem to help.

"Lie down," Carol told her as soon as they stopped for the night. "I'll order you some chicken soup."

Therese gingerly ate her soup. Her condition had deteriorated markedly in the past several hours, Carol noticed. Her face was so pale it seemed to be glowing, dark circles ringed her exhausted eyes. She could barely speak and every breath seemed to be a struggle. She had said in the car she couldn't get warm. A blade of fear stabbed Carol's heart. What if she had decided to follow Abby's plan and leave Therese and let Abby drive her home. Therese was very sick, that was as apparent as the moon in the sky. The thought of leaving a sick Therese heartbroken ripped Carol's heart up.

After they finished dinner, Carol insisted they take a shower. "We've had a hard day, and you're sick. The steam will help break up that gunk."

Therese shivered as Carol helped her out of her clothes. The shivering decreased only fractionally in the shower. Carol shampooed her hair, then softly ran the soap up her spine, tickling her. Therese giggled.

"It's so wonderful to see you laugh," Carol told her as she turned her around and washed her front.

Therese giggled again, only to have her body consumed by the racking cough. She knelt down to spit the phlegm down the drain. Tears streamed down her face as Carol helped her up and held her tight.

"It's all right, angel. Calm down." She traced patterns on the thin back and kissed the dark hair.

She shut off the water and wrapped Therese in a thick towel. Therese was shivering terribly. Carol dried her off and got her dressed as quickly as she could.

"Let's get you to bed," Carol said. In spite of feeling like a wrung out rag, Therese began to giggle, only to hack again. She got herself under control, smirking.

"What on earth is so hilarious?" Carol asked as she helped her under the covers.

Therese pulled her down beside her. "Last night I told you to take me to bed, for a whole different reason. I want to do what we did last night."

Carol snorted. "So you can have a heart attack? I don't think so."

Therese snuggled up against Carol, holding on to her arm. Carol wrapped her arms around the skinny girl, running her fingers through her hair and up and down her back.

"I love you," Therese whispered raspily. She kissed Carol's shoulder and nestled into her.

"I love you too," Carol said. She slipped her hands under Therese's top and massage her sore back and shoulders.

Therese snuggled even closer to her, holding onto her tightly. "I love you," she whispered again as she floated off to sleep.

Moonlight painted Therese's already pale face an ethereal, celestial white. She looked more like an angel than ever.

"I love you too," Carol whispered back. She knew she had made the right choice.

Therese drifted in and of disturbing dreams. She had a dream that Carol was stealing her pillow and no matter what she did she wouldn't give it back. Then Carol's face began to change. Her blond hair stood on end and split into two horns. Her blue eyes began to stretch, nearly reaching her nose. Her flawless porcelain skin darkened into scarlet. Fangs glistened in her mouth. And she still wouldn't give the pillow back.

Therese woke up, not breathing. Not able to catch her breath. She stumbled into the bathroom and turned the hot water on as far as it would go, trying to breathe in the steam. Great, gasping coughs consumed her body and she still could not get any oxygen into her lungs.

" _Carol!_ " she rasped out before falling to the floor.

Carol awoke to all the commotion. She groggily stumbled into the bathroom but was instantly awake when she saw Therese in a heap, struggling to breathe.

"Oh my God! Therese!"

"Can't…breathe…." Therese gasped.

"Come on." Not caring they were both in their pajamas, Carol half carried Therese to the car and peeled out of the parking lot at about 40 miles an hour.

Therese was nearly unconscious when they reached the hospital. Carol dragged her inside and shrieked for help.

They immediately put Therese on a nebulizer. A doctor came and listened to her lungs and heart. Carol held her hand the whole time. She didn't care who saw and what they might think. Therese was incredibly sick. She couldn't bear to think of what might have happened if she had left her alone out here. Every time she thought of it she squeezed Therese's hand tighter. Therese could barely stand to take her eyes off Carol.

"Here," the doctor said to Carol, handing her a bottle of pills. "Penicillin. Have her take these as directed and plenty of water and rest. She has a terrible case of bronchitis. If she isn't careful it could pass to pneumonia."

Carol thanked him and helped Therese back to the car. "Carol-" Therese rasped out.

"Don't say anything, Therese. I have never been so scared in my whole life."

They drove quietly back to the motel, Therese too exhausted and Carol too terrified to speak.

 _I almost left her here alone_ Carol thought. The thought of Therese so sick, possibly dead because nobody was there to help her, ripped through Carol's soul.

"Bed," Carol ordered as soon as they got back. The horizon was beginning to brighten.

Therese giggled then hacked again. "There you go again."

Carol rolled her eyes at her. "Shut up and get in bed, young lady."

"Yes ma'am," Therese whispered. She had to whisper, for her voice was nearly gone.

Carol lay down beside her and rubbed vapor rub on her back. Therese snuggled into her and sighed. Carol caressed her back, hoping to bring some of the fluid back. One thing was for sure, Carol was not going to sleep while Therese was still so sick. She nearly lost her, she was sure of it. She unconsciously held her tighter.

Therese looked up. She had never seen Carol so scared, not even when confronting the private investigator. She kissed Carol's arm.

"Thank you," she whispered hoarsely.

"For what?"

"For saving my life."

Carol held her as tightly as she dared. "Don't talk like that."

Therese kissed her arm again. "I love you…" she breathed as she drifted off to sleep.

Carol looked down at the sick, sleeping angel in her arms and stroked her hair. "I love you, Therese. More than you will ever know."


	13. Chapter 13-Blue Topaz

Chapter 13

I thought Jack interrupting Carol and Therese was very rude. They were obviously in the middle of something. My version of what Therese should have said

Therese looked deep into Carol's eyes. The blue irises swimming in tears, which were dangerously close to spilling down her beautiful face.

" _I love you,"_ Carol said hoarsely, choking back her tears.

Therese felt her anger dissipate. How could she stay angry at Carol? She had been in an impossible position, forced to choose between her daughter and her lover. She still loved Carol. That hadn't changed. That would never change.

Therese looked deep into Carol's eyes and began to say something, but was interrupted.

"Therese? Is that you?"

She whipped around, more annoyed than she ever had been in her life.

"Jack?"

He came up to the table like he belonged there. Therese felt the rage build up inside her, at Jack for interrupting the most intense moment of her life. At men who felt like women were their little playthings without brains and emotions of their own. The blood drained from Therese's face. She was nearly has white as her sweater. Her pupils dilated, nearly obliterating the turquoise irises.

"We're in the middle of something," she snarled at him. "Get lost!"

Carol and Jack both looked at her, dumbfounded. Sweet, soft spoken Therese never snapped at anyone.

"Therese?" Jack asked uncertainly.

"Get the _fuck_ away from me!" Therese barked at him. Carol bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing. She didn't think Therese even knew that word.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted a ride to the party," Jack said, dumbfounded by Therese's reaction.

"I'm not going to the fucking party," Therese snapped. "Now go away!"

Jack looked uncertainly at Carol, who shrugged apologetically. She was fighting off a fit of laughter, and failing.

"Ma'am," said a waiter. "Please refrain from using that vulgarity in this establishment."

"To _hell_ with your establishment!" Therese shouted. She had never been so angry in her life. She had been about to tell Carol she loved her too, that she would think about living with her, when Jack had barged in.

Jack stared at her, dumbfounded. "Therese? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is _wrong_ with me!" Therese bellowed. "Fuck off!"

Everyone was staring at her now. Therese grabbed her coat and purse and ran out the door. A minute later a familiar gloved hand was on her shoulder. Carol spun her around and held her tight.

Therese began to sob, the months of heartache coming out in the middle of a crowded New York City street.

"It's ok, angel. After what you've been through…" Carol stopped, ripped apart by the guilt that she had been the one to put Therese through it.

Therese didn't say anything. She was crying so hard she couldn't speak. Carol pulled her off to the side, on a bench that offered a bit of privacy. Therese's thin body shook with sobs. Carol held her until she finally calmed down. She rubbed her back. Therese had always been thin, but she had definitely lost weight. Her shoulder blades poked through the back of her coat. Carol could feel her ribs through the fabric.

"Oh my sweet girl," Carol murmured. "I'm so, so sorry I had to do what I did. I don't blame you for being so angry."

Therese sighed. She wiped her red swollen eyes and smiled at Carol. "God, what you must think of me yelling at Jack like that."

Carol laughed. Her first real laugh in months. "Therese. That was hilarious! Who cares what those stuffed shirts think? I think it was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Therese smiled. "Take me home, Carol. I want to see it."

"Home? Does this mean…that you will stay with me?"

Therese turned away. "I will think about it. It's just…Carol…." She stopped, tears streaming down her face again.

"Do you hate me? Therese, I didn't want to do what I did. I felt it best to make a clean break, so neither of us got hurt any more than we were already going to. I cried the whole trip back."

The last of Therese's anger melted away. She had been so focused on her own heartache she hadn't thought about Carol's. She understood why Carol had done what she had. But that didn't mean her heart wasn't broken.

"Come on," Carol said, helping her to the curb and hailing a taxi. She didn't care anymore who saw her and what they might think. Therese was so worn out she could barely walk. She had definitely lost weight; Carol could have picked her up and carried her.

As soon as the apartment door closed, Carol kissed Therese ferociously. Her lips pressed down on her angel's with a carnal intensity. Their tongues danced together.

Carol picked Therese up and leaned her back against the wall. Therese wrapped her legs around Carol's waist. They looked deep into each other's eyes, not speaking. Neither dared to breathe.

"I've missed you so, so much," Carol whispered. "You have no idea..."

Therese didn't say anything. She kissed Carol's cheek.

Carol carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Therese pulled her on top of her. "Make love to me, Carol. I love you too."

She slipped her hands under Carol's blouse and ran her fingernails over the silky skin. Carol kissed her neck. Therese dug her fingernails into Carol's back. A little too roughly.

Their eyes met. Therese's shone with love but also a strength she didn't have before.

"By the way," Therese hissed, digging her nails into Carol's back even harder and wrapping her legs around her waist, "if you _ever_ break my heart again, I will hunt you down and put a bullet in your head." The serious way she said it made Carol think she wasn't kidding.

"I will never hurt you again, angel," Carol whispered into her hair. She ripped Therese shirt off, making the buttons go flying. She massaged Therese's small breasts through the fabric of her bra, then slid her hands behind Therese's back to unfasten it and fling it away. Therese pulled Carol's shirt off her and kissed her ferociously, almost a bite. Carol kissed her back, just as hard. She lay on top of Therese with her full weight and held her hands over her head. Therese tried to roll Carol over so she as on top but Carol was too strong. Carol bucked against Therese as hard as she could, slamming her head into wall.

"Don't ever make me shatter again," Therese whispered in Carol's ear, sounding a bit like her old self. She ran her teeth over the pale elegant skin, a bit roughly. Carol moaned.

"I will die before I hurt you again," Carol whispered back. "I lost you once, I won't lose you again."

Carol kissed Therese's collarbone. Down she went, licking and sucking each breast, making the nipples stand up. She kissed a rib, then another one, until she reached the flat stomach. Therese's normally thin body seemed gaunt. Carol pressed love into each kiss.

Therese was sure every drop of blood in her body was in her clitoris. It throbbed, waiting desperately for Carol's touch.

Carol pushed the thin legs apart and kissed Therese's erect clitoris.

Therese moaned.

Carol sucked on it, as hard as she dared without hurting Therese. Therese moaned and groaned and quickly came.

Carol crawled back up the shivering body. She held Therese's hands over her head and wrapped her legs around her, rubbing her clitoris on Therese's.

"Are you ok?" Carol asked as she rode Therese hard. She let go of one of her hands to hold her head.

Therese nodded and kissed her in response. Carol held her head and kissed her neck and came. She collapsed on top of Therese, gasping for breath.

She rolled off Therese and reached for something in her nightstand drawer. She handed Therese a small black velvet box. Inside was a ring, a beautiful silver ring. Two silver bars sparkling with tiny emeralds interloped to make an infinity symbol with a blue topaz diamond.

Therese stared at it, speechless. Her eyes met Carol's in disbelief. Carol held it up next to Therese's face.

"I knew this color would go with your eyes," she said as she slipped it on to Therese's finger. "Will you marry me, angel?"

Therese was still speechless. She stared at the ring in disbelief. "Oh Carol-" she whispered as tears of happiness streamed down her face. "Yes, I will. If only in…." she stopped, choking on her tears.

Carol wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. "My angel, my angel," she murmured into the dark hair. "Flung out of space. Nothing can tear us apart now."


	14. Chapter 14

The Tour

This is a Carol-Hunger Games crossover-was thinking of making it a full fanfic in its own right but just don't have the time to do it right now. Maybe when work calms down. In the meantime, enjoy!

Therese couldn't sleep. The train was racing her towards District 11 as part of her Victory Tour. She was dreading the Tour, especially to Districts 1, 2, and 4, whose tributes she had personally killed. As an orphan growing up in District 12, she had learned at a very age how to take care of herself. All the children in the orphanage had basic electrical and water skills, and extensive knowledge of edible plants, as they grew much of their own food. They knew how to be cold and hungry and survive. Therese learned to throw knives at twelve in order to protect herself from older boys who didn't take no for an answer. Screams didn't always bring an adult eager to protect a child who wasn't theirs. Therese was also an excellent tree climber. It was her job to climb apple trees in the fall to pick the ripe fruit.

She wandered out to the diner car and ordered a cup of sleepy time tea. The nightmares started a month ago, growing more violent each night. She saw the Career Pack coming at her, growing larger with each step and herself running like a squirrel. In her dreams, she killed them by decapitating them. Only they wouldn't die. Their headless bodies would keep chasing her, jumping at the base of the tree she scrambled up, the bodiless heads cheering them on.

In reality, she had collected pouches of something she originally thought was water. She found it hanging in the tree she climbed to get away from the Careers. That would be so like the Gamemakers, hiding water high in trees. Only it wasn't water. It moved and danced inside the pouch, implying it should not be drunk. When the Careers came at her, she didn't have any weapons, just the pouches. She dropped a handful from her tree onto them, not knowing what would happen. The liquid inside exploded on impact, killing everyone below her. The tree swayed dangerously but she managed to hang on. She survived up to that point by hiding. The Careers had killed everyone else by the second night and were hunting her down before breaking their alliance and being forced to kill each other. She took care of that by killing all six of the Careers at once, making her the Victor. A hovercraft transported her back to the Capital where she was put back together.

Disoriented, dehydrated and exhausted, her interview with Caesar Flickerman was not the best.

"The Victor of the 54th Hunger Games! Therese Beliviet!" boomed across the stage, the Capital, all of Panem.

Her escort Carol had to help her on to the stage, for she could barely walk. The Capital doctors had to do surgery on her back. When the Careers exploded, Therese was propelled forward then backwards with tremendous speed and force. Only her safety harness, a good grip and sheer luck kept her from being killed.

"You were considered a long shot, " Caesar said at her victory interview. "The Game Makers gave you a 6 on your individual assessment. How did you know those pouches would explode when you dropped them?"

She was indeed a long shot. Orphans in District 12 were even more malnourished than everyone else and were forced to take more tesserae than other children. One advantage they did have, however, was they knew how to be cold and hungry. They knew how to climb trees as they had an orchard. They had extensive knowledge of which plants were edible and which would kill you the second they touched your tongue. Therese was lithe and slender and the Careers were muscular and stocky. When the District 1 tried to the climb the tree after her, he didn't get more than a few branches up before the limbs couldn't support him. Few expected the fragile looking girl with the turquoise eyes to beat the seemingly unstoppable Careers.

"I didn't," Therese answered honestly. "At first I thought they were water, but something about them seemed off. Whatever was in them seemed to be moving, dancing almost. And they were hanging spaced apart, like someone had measured how far apart to put them. I just took as many as I could to see if I could figure out what was in it later. I dropped them more out of fear than anything else."

"We are lucky to have a victor at all in these Hunger Games," Caesar remarked. "I have never seen such a vicious initial bloodbath. And we are lucky you weren't blown sky high when you dropped the bags."

Therese nodded. She kept seeing the explosion, bits of the Careers scattered here and there as she clung to her tree. Arms and legs, heads and feet dotted the landscape as she was hanging on to her tree. She tried not to look but that was impossible. The random of thought that the human body held about nine pints of blood, multiplied by 6 people equaled 54 pints of blood soaking the ground was her last conscious thought. Knowing she had caused it was nearly unbearable, until she remembered the Careers were trying to kill her first.

Therese wondered how she was going to look at the families of Phineas and Ava , the District 4 tributes she exploded. How was she going to say she was sorry for their deaths when she was the one responsible? The fact they were trying to kill her first wasn't going matter to grieving mothers. Maybe it would have been better if she had died, Therese reflected as she stirred her tea. Her mother was already dead.

"Sleepless night?" a husky voice behind her asked. Therese jumped about a foot. Carol stood behind her in her bathrobe, a smirk on her lips

"Yes," said Therese. "I was just making some Sleepy Time Tea. Sometimes it helps with the nightmares."

Carol's blue eyes widened with concern and her smirk vanished. "Nightmares?"

Therese looked away, embarrassed. "Yes. I dream about seeing the people I….well, you know…."

Carol lay her hand on Therese's trembling one. "They were going to kill you if you didn't do what you did."

Tears streamed down Therese's pale face. "How am I going to face their families? When I killed them? What do I say to them?"

Carol rubbed Therese's back helplessly. "I will write your speech. Don't worry about that."

Therese broke into full fledged sobs. Carol rubbed her back, then pulled her to her and held her tight. "Come on," she said and half carried the still crying Therese back to her quarters.

She lay Therese down on the bed and sat down beside her. Therese finally stopped crying. Carol began to massage her shoulders and back. "Calm down. You didn't invent the Hunger Games. You did what you were supposed to. You stayed alive."

Therese made a sound between a sob and a sigh. But she was beginning to relax. Between Carol's soothing and the Sleepy Time Tea she drifted off to sleep.

A shriek awoke Carol an hour later. She stayed in Therese's room as she was worried about her. Therese had gone into the Games pale and thin but was more so now. Dark circles around her eyes indicated she wasn't getting enough sleep. Carol wasn't surprised she was having nightmares. That was common among Victors. What Carol wasn't going to allow to happen was the addiction that was also so rampant among the Victors.

"No! Stop!" Therese shrieked, twitching violently in her sleep. She woke up with a start, gasping. The District 1 tributes Ruby and Armani flashed in front of her eyes. In her dream, they were climbing the tree after her. When she got high enough the branches couldn't support their weight, the District 2 tributes Victoria and Bruta began swinging over from neighboring trees, throwing knives with near lethal accuracy. She jumped into the lake to get away from them, only to be cornered by the District 4 tributes Ava and Phineas. They were about to rip her to pieces when she woke up.

Carol wrapped her arms around the trembling girl. "Shhhh," she soothed. "You're safe."

Therese held on to her arm, shaking like she had seen the Devil. Which she had.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Carol asked softly. She knew what the dreams were like. She knew how the Games could shatter a person's soul. She wasn't going to let that happen to Therese.

Therese told her about her dream in choked whispers. "When do the dreams stop?" she asked. "When does all of this stop?"

Carol grimaced. She didn't want to tell Therese that it never stop, that soon President Snow would be prostituting her. If she didn't do what he wanted, he would kill someone she loved. Therese might be an orphan, but Carol knew she cared about the other children she lived with. She had friends at school and she would do what their sadistic president wanted to protect them. The thought of sweet, naïve Therese being subjected to that made her sick. Carol vowed to protect her as much as possible.

"We can talk about that later," Carol said. "Just try to get back to sleep."

"Will you stay with me?" Therese whispered. She felt like Carol's presence would keep her safe from nightmares.

"Of course I will," Carol said. Therese finally fell asleep in Carol's arms, feeling safer than she had in months.

For the rest of the Horror Tour (that's what Therese named it), that was the unspoken rule. Carol lay in bed with Therese, rubbing her back and holding her until she fell asleep. Sometimes it kept the nightmares away, sometimes not. But it definitely helped to have Carol there when she woke up screaming.

Therese was doing ok as they went from District 11 through District 5. She read the speeches Carol wrote, ate the meals the Districts prepared, and sometimes saw a few sights. There usually wasn't much to see, but she enjoyed seeing different areas of the country. She would've been most excited about seeing the sea in District 4 if she wasn't dreading facing the families of the tributes she blew up.

The night before they were supposed to get to District 4, she was a nervous wreck.

"What am I going to say to their families?" Therese fretted. Her dreams about decapitated and disembodied tributes attacking her were getting more vivid and more violent. She was practically jumping out of her skin. Every little noise made her jump.

Carol sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this," she said and reached into a bottle. She tapped out a lilac colored pill, about an inch long. She broke it into three parts and gave a small bar to Therese.

"This will help you relax. I will give you another bar tomorrow before your speech."

Therese looked at her mentor curiously. She swallowed down the small pill and changed into her pajamas. Within half an hour, her body began to relax. She fell asleep, the first sleep without nightmares in months.

"Here," Carol said the next morning at breakfast. She gave Therese the last two lilac bars.

"What is this?" Therese asked as she swallowed it with a sip of orange juice.

"Something to help you with the District," Carol said evasively. It was actually an anti-anxiety medication, similar to what was called Xanax in the past. Only it was now at least 3 times more potent than Xanax.

"Don't ever take these unless I give them to you," Carol warned. "They are very addictive if you take them too much. Some victors get addicted to them."

Therese understood why.

"Your tributes fought bravely," she said to District 4 soon after. The families of Phineas and Ava were on pedestals, their pictures behind them. Until I exploded them, she thought. The whole speech was a blur and it was a great relief when it was over. Carol and a District 4 representative took her to see the ocean afterwards. Therese loved the water. It was such a difference from the coal mines and green hills of District 12.

"Can I have another pill tonight?" Therese asked Carol on the train, en route to District 3. "It was so nice to sleep without nightmares."

"No," Carol said. "Those pills are very addictive. You didn't kill the District 3 tributes."

Therese grumbled a bit but didn't push it.

Carol didn't give her the pills again until they got to District 1. Therese was a wreck. Flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety attacks. District 2 had been terrible. The families of Victoria and Bruta looked like they would've torn her to pieces if the Peace Keepers weren't there.

With the pills and a tactfully written speech, Therese dragged herself through District 1. A child of about 10, who had to have been Ruby's younger sister, cried the whole time. Therese thought it'd be nice if the Earth swallowed her up then.

The Capital was next on the Tour. Carol was dreading this part of the tour. She knew President Snow was going to prostitute this girl out. Not on this part of the tour, but later. The thought of that happening to the already fragile Therese made her want to kill Snow herself.

Therese couldn't help but be dazzled by the glitz and glamour of the Capital Feast. Once she found the Dessert Table, a feast unto itself with pie, cookies and to her delight, chocolate, she found her place for the night. Orphans in District 12 got chocolate maybe once or twice a year. She gobbled it down as if it was going to grow legs and run off.

"That is quite enough chocolate!" Carol said and led her outside. A magnificent firework display began a minute later, and again Therese couldn't help being amazed. Carol even let her have some Champaign.

"We'll be on our way back to 12 tomorrow," Carol said as they went to their room for the night. "Are you relieved?"

Therese was tremendously so. "I just want to forget this whole trip," Therese said.

Carol looked at her sadly. She didn't have the heart to tell her that the Capital never let Victors forget. Therese was a mentor now. She would never get off that train.

Therese looked at Carol. After spending so much time together, they could read each other very well. The realization of what was going to happen dawned on Therese's pale face like a nuclear bomb. Every drop of blood seemed to drain from her face. She was ashen.

"Carol…the other Victors are mentors….which means…." Therese didn't finish her thought. She stumbled backwards, horrified. She was going to have to coach teens to their deaths. "Oh my God!"

"There are tricks to teach," Carol said helplessly. "You knew a lot of survival skills, which plants to eat and which to stay away from. Those are just as important, sometimes more so than combat skills."

Therese couldn't speak. She couldn't do anything but stare at Carol in helpless horror.

"How do you do it?" she whispered. "How?"

"I'm forced," Carol said bitterly. "They will hurt my daughter. She's only four. My ex-husband…"she stopped, choking on her rage.

Therese didn't ask more. She couldn't process anymore. She sat down on the bed and held her head in her hands.

Carol sat down next rubbed her back. "I couldn't bear to tell you before. You'd been through so much."

Therese looked at her with those haunted turquoise eyes. "What happens if you don't do it?"

"They will kill someone you love." Carol said it matter of factly.

"I don't have any family-" Therese began then stopped. The other children at the orphanage were her family. Sister Alicia was strict but kind to everyone, and the cook and Old Man Abernathy who helped with the garden. He was usually drunk and came off as gruff, but he always helped her with what ever she needed in the garden. He'd taught her a lot about edible plants.

And Carol. They would probably hurt her too. Therese knew she was attracted to the tall, blond beauty and others probably picked up on it too.

Carol got up to go. "I understand if you want to be alone."

Therese grabbed her hand. "Don't go," she whispered. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

Carol laid down behind her and wrapped her arms around the thin body. She folded her legs under Therese, making it seem like she was sitting in her lap. One arm held Therese across her waist and the other across her chest. Therese held on to Carol's arm and leaned back into her. Carol leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

Therese kissed Carol's elegant hand. "I love you," she whispered.

Carol tightened her grip around the quivering girl. "And I love you." She kissed Therese's shoulder, leaving goosebumps through the thin fabric of her night shirt.

Therese turned over so she was facing Carol. After surviving the Games, she didn't like to have her back to people.

"It'll be ok," Carol said, not believing it for a second. It would never be okay in a world where Cornelius Snow was president, innocent children were beautified for slaughter and teenagers like Therese would be prostituted out to the highest bidder. Carol vowed she would keep that from happening.

Therese curled into her, not believing things would be ok either. But she was too tired to think about it anymore.

The next night they were finally back on the train to District 12. Therese was going to have her own house in the Victor's Village. The only other resident was Carol. Therese had never lived on her own before. She found the idea both exciting and scary. It was comforting that Carol was going to be next door.

"Why don't you stay with me while you paint and remodel?" Carol suggested on the train. The house was move in ready, but needed some cosmetic touches. The bathroom needed to be re-caulked and a few rooms needed to be painted. Then Therese would need furniture. The process was going to take a few weeks. One area Therese had forbidden anyone to touch was the garden. That was going to be hers from the get go.

Therese smiled. Nothing would make her happier than staying with Carol.

"Ah home at last," Carol said as she walked into her house. Therese followed behind her. The workmen were scurrying around painting and caulking her house. They'd be leaving soon though. It was nearly dinner time. Therese was too tired to eat, but that was ok. Carol only had canned green beans. Both of them just wanted to rest.

"You can freshen up in here," Carol said as she led Therese to a bathroom stocked. Beautiful bottles of purple and blue liquids stocked the shelves. Carol handed Therese a towel and left. She didn't trust herself to be around a showering Therese.

Therese came out a short time later, wearing Carol's much too big bathrobe. "I forgot to bring any clothes in with me," she explained apologetically.

Carol laughed. "You look so tiny in that."

Therese held up her arms in sleeves that were several inches too long and shrugged. "Well it was either that or come out in a towel!"

Carol didn't let herself think of that. "How does your skin feel? Did it help?"

Therese gave her a questioning look.

"The moisturizer," Carol clarified. "I noticed your skin was pretty dry on the tour."

Therese shook her head. "I didn't know it was in there."

Carol went into the bathroom and returned with a purple bottle of lotion. "Here, let me, " she said. She made Therese lay down on the couch and began rubbing lotion into her feet.

It tickled but the fact that Carol was massaging her feet made Therese's heart race. "Your feet are so tight," Carol commented. "They're crunchy."

Therese giggled.

"It's so good to see you laugh," Carol said as she began massaging Therese's calf.

Their eyes met. A spark flashed between them. Carol reached up higher on her leg, smirking slightly. Her blue eyes seemed to say, _I dare you to say stop_. Therese had no desire to do so. Carol's long fingers on her body felt incredible.

"Can I untie this?" Carol asked as she reached for Therese's bathrobe sash. She pulled it without waiting for an answer and began massaging lotion into her stomach. Therese began to tremble. Carol gently ran her fingers down her ribs. Therese grabbed her hands and kissed the long, elegant fingers.

"Feel my heart," she said and placed Carol's hand on her pounding heart.

"Are you alright?" Carol asked.

Therese nodded, although she was still shaking like a leaf. Carol kissed her forehead, then gently kissed her lips. Then they kissed for real. Therese's first kiss. Carol hovered over her and kissed her face.

"Carol, make love to me," she whispered. "Please."

Carol lay down on top of her and reached inside her bathrobe. She caressed Therese's back. Therese slipped the bathrobe off. She clung to Carol as she massaged her neck with her mouth. Soft, slow kiss up to her pulse point. Therese moaned softly.

Carol pulled her own shirt off. Therese reached uncertainly for Carol's breasts.

"Can I touch them?" she asked.

"Yes, you can," Carol answered and placed Therese's shaking hands on her breasts. Therese blushed furiously.

"Can I taste them?" she whispered shyly.

"Yes, you can," Carol answered and leaned over Therese so she could reach. Therese shyly took Carol's left nipple in her mouth and sucked. She did the same with the right. Carol sighed.

She pulled off her skirt and underwear and lay on top of Therese naked. Therese moaned. Carol kissed her breasts. She placed a lingering kiss on her beating heart. She kissed each rib and placed open mouth kisses on her stomach.

"Can these come off?" she asked, smirking as she snapped the band of Therese's underwear. She pulled them off before Therese could do more than nod. She gently but firmly pushed Therese's legs apart and lowered her head between them. Therese gasped as Carol's tongue began to circle her clitoris. Slowly at first, then Carol's tongue swirled faster and faster before stopping abruptly as she sucked on it. Therese moaned and groaned as Carol carried her to the stratosphere and she came.

"My, my," Carol smirked as she crawled back up Therese's thin body. "You smell like an angel and taste like one too."

Therese smiled faintly. Carol positioned herself so her clit was on Therese's and thrust. Therese clung to her. Carol hoisted herself up on her forearms as she thrust again against Therese. She kissed her neck, not bearing to look her in the eye. They came together.

"I love you," Therese said hoarsely to the worn out woman on top of her.

"I love you too," Carol said. She placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and lay back on the couch, pulling Therese with her. Therese rested her head on Carol's chest. Carol stroked her hair.

"My angel," Carol said as Therese dosed off. "I will keep you safe."


	15. Chapter 15

Hey guys I am running low on ideas for Carol and Therese. I am open to prompts so if there is a place you'd like to see them go, or an AU PM me and I will do my best to make it happen!


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